Safety bottle breaking device



Feb. 22, 1944.

S. 'SACCO SAFETY BOTTLE BREAKING DEVICE 7 Filed Sept. 21, 1942 INVENTORATTORNEYS I Patented Feb". 22, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT 'QFFI'CE v2,342,495 k SAFlfiY BOTTLE REAKING DEVICE Savi'no Sacco, Long Branch,'N. J l Application September 21, 1942, Serial No. 459,168

'Wcl'aimsr (cl. s3--93) This invention relates to bottle breakingdevices, and its general object is to providea device that is primarilydesigned to materially facilitate breaking glass bottles of the typegenerally used for alcoholic liquors, after the original contents hasbeen removed, so as to strictly comply with laws making it illegal torefill the same.

A further object is to provide a bottle breaking device that not onlyincludes means to bring about the breaking of a bottle with safety andin a manner to completely destroy the neck thereof, but the device alsoincludes a container provided with a lid or cover having the breakingmeans associated therewith for the broken pieces e of glass to fallwithin the container, during the breaking action, thus avoidingscattering the glass about the floor or the like.

Another object is to provide a :bottle breaking device that includes nomoving parts that require oiling or other attention, and the device issimple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremelyeflicient in use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a side view partly in section of the device which forms thesubject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the breaking unit.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the breaking unit, illustrating thebreaking or cutting element and its securing means separated from themounting bracket thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral l indicatesthe cylindrical body of the container which may be a refuse can of theusual construction, as far as the body structure is concerned, in thatthe body includes a bead 2 adjacent the top thereof, that provides anabutment for the marginal flange of a cover or lid 3, the latter havingthe usual handle 4 secured thereto and rising therefrom.

The lid has a pair of inlet openings 5 and 6 therein, that are disposedupon opposite sides of the handle, and it will be noted that the opening5 is of less diameter than th atof the "opening a.

Each opening is circular in the form shown, and

they are provided with sheet elastic disk dia- I mountedthere on, butthe segments are 'normally arranged to close the openings, due to theelasticity of the material of the closures, coupled withthe fact thattlfe closures are drawn taut when secured to the lid, thus eliminatingpassage of flying glass from the container through the openings, as willbe apparent.

The breaking or cutting element I6 is made from steel or the like, andis provided with a substantially U-shaped mounting bracket havingoutwardly directed apertured ears ll formed on the upper ends of itsarms 12, as best shown in Figure 4 to receive the bolts of bolt and nutconnections l3 that secure the bracket to the lid, with the arms l2depending therefrom, upon opposite sides of the opening 5 for disposalof the bight portion M in a plane below and diametrically of the opening5, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 1.

An opening ii: is provided centrally of the bight portion M to receivethe shank of a bolt l6 for detachably securing the breaking or cuttingelement it to the bracket, and for that purpose, the element is providedwith a threaded bore extending centrally therein from its base forreceiving the shank, so that the element can be drawn for disposing itsbase in tight engagement against the bight portion to prevent casualremoval or displacement of the element, yet it can be readily removed tobe sharpened or replaced in the event of damage thereto.

The element 10 is in the form of an elongated three sided pyramid toprovide cutting edges ll and a sharp apex, and is preferably of a lengthto extend through the opening 5 and consequent- 1y through the closure1, for disposal of the apex slightly above the lid, as best shown inFigure 1,

so that the apex will be exposed to facilitate ap-- plying the neck ofan empty bottle to the element to bring about breaking of the bottle.

From the above description and disclosure in the drawing, it is believedthat the use of my device will be obvious, but it might be mentionedthat'when it is desired to break a bottle, the body thereof is firmlygrasped and th neck is mounted on the element 9 for disposal within thecontainer, and of course with the apex inserted within the neck. Thebottle is then moved angularly to engage the neck against one of thecutting edges ll, and such action will result in fracturing the neck ina manner to prevent the fragments or broken pieces of glass from flyingupwardly for passage through the openings 5 and 6, but if by chance suchshould occur, the flying pieces will contact the closures I and 8 and bedeflected downwardly within the container. The neck can be broken merelyby disposing the neck about the element Ill and giving the bottle aquick downward movement, for the element to set up a wedging actionagainst the neck, but either method will destroy the bottle and therebyprevent reuse thereof. After the neck of the bottle is broken, the bodyof the bottle is inserted in the container through the opening 6, withthe result it will be seen that a bottle can be safely destroyed by mydevice in an easy and expeditious manner, and that the broken piecesofglass are confined within a container.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A bottle breaking device comprising a container, a handled lid forthe container and provided with an inlet opening for passage of the neckof the bottle therethrough, a substantially U-shaped mounting brackethaving its arms secured to and depending from the lid for disposal ofits bight portion in a plane below and diametrically of the opening,elongated means for receiving the neck of the bottle to bring aboutbreakage thereof and secured to and rising from the bight portion fordisposal centrally of the opening, said means being of pyramid shape toprovide cutting edges'and to set up a wedging action against the innerface of the neck and extending through the opening for disposing theapex of said means above the lid, and a slit elastic diaphragm closurenormally closing the opening.

2. A bottle breaking device comprising a container, a handled lid forthe container and provided with a pair of inlet openings disposed uponopposite sides of the handle, a substantially U- shaped bracket havingoutwardly directed ears formed on the upper ends of the arms thereof andsecured to the under face of the lid for disposing the arms in dependingrelation therefrom, with the bight portion of the bracket arranged in aplane below and diametrically of one of said openings, a substantiallypyramid shape elongated breaking and cutting element detachably securedto and rising from the bight portion for disposal centrally of thelatter opening and extending therethrough for receiving the neck of thebottle, and sheet elastic disk shaped closures secured tautly to the lidand being slit to provide quarter segments normally closing theopenings.

SAVINO SACCO.

